Forgive me if this has already been discussed here, but I'm wondering if there is a complete list of references to the eating of meat in the Sutta Pitaka. Has such a list been compiled, or, if not, would it be possible to compile such a list and would anyone here be able to do so?

OK, thanks, but I am actually looking for a list of any reference to meat eating at all, i.e. where the eating of meat is discussed or mentioned in any way,not just incidents where the Buddha ate meat.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

person wrote:OK, here's a more specific question: Are there any suttas where the Buddha or a bhikkhu says anything about lay people eating meat?

They eat meat all the time; it's on those occasions when they are able to offer it to Buddhist monastics in the first place.

You might save time if you plainly declare the claim you want to prove.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

What does the Buddha say about vegetarianism? The first part of the answer is that you need to know where to look (in the texts) for the answer, and, just as important, you need to be keenly aware of the excuses and misdirections that will distract you from what the texts say (and what they don't say). The second part of the answer won't be found in this article: anyone can work with the raw materials themselves and, in writing this blog, I am refusing the role of the guru (i.e., I'm not offering any easy answers, just answers).

The author seems pretty sharp, and I believe he is a vegan, so presumably he feels that at least vegetarianism is supported by the "raw materials", but I found the article kind of confusing, and I don't know Pali so I can't really work with the raw materials. I thought by having a list of all the references to meat eating in what he calls the "core canon" I could at least begin to see what he might be getting at.

person wrote:...I found the article kind of confusing, and I don't know Pali so I can't really work with the raw materials. I thought by having a list of all the references to meat eating in what he calls the "core canon" I could at least begin to see what he might be getting at.

The author seems to have a lot going on, ranging over many topics without having a structure or a single point. It's more of a far-ranging monologue than an essay on vegetarianism, so I'd probably set those musings aside if vegetarianism via the Dhamma is what you want to explore in particular.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]